People Watch

The media is reporting that Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is taking a lead role in a Silicon Valley SuperPAC organized by his former college roommate, Joe Green.
Sources say that the group will focus on education and immigration reform, two issues that are crucial to Silicon Valley, which needs a healthy pool of talent to stay competitive.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt appointed Mary Cullinane chief content officer and executive vice president of corporate affairs. Charged with spearheading the company’s content development strategy for the K12 education market and consumer audiences, Mary will expand her current role to drive HMH’s content production and innovation efforts, developing the next generation of digital solutions.

Frank Rocco, who has been serving this year as interim principal of Kalamazoo's Woodward School for Technology and Research, has been named the school's permanent principal. Woodward is a K5 magnet school.

Scott Zimmerman, the only incumbent running in the Park Ridge-Niles (Ill.) School District 64 board election, described his job as the CIO of CenterPoint Properties, as being the "head computer geek there." He feels that his technology experience can add value to the board.

Dr. Nola Wellman was named Superintendent of the Year by the Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) Tuesday night, honored for her constant push to transform instruction to the needs and expectations of students in today's fast-paced, technology-rich environment. The award is presented to a superintendent who recognizes the importance of technology in the teaching and learning process and actively promotes the use of technology throughout the district.

Though Ed McKaveney is an affiliated board member of the Pennsylvania Association for Educational Communications and Technology, he was shocked when the same organization named him Outstanding Leader of the Year.

The Global Impact STEM Academy Board has appointed Carl Berg as the interim director of the science, technology, engineering and mathematics school. Berg, who fills the STEM Academy's first full-time position, served as superintendent at Tolles Career Center, and while superintendent at Miamisburg, he received the Superintendent Outstanding Performance Award in 1999.﻿

Assemblyman Rocky Chávez was appointed Tuesday to the California Task Force on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education (STEM). The task force is responsible for recommending a blueprint on how to improve teaching, learning, and equal access to STEM-related courses and careers for students in kindergarten through grade 12.